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Merinthe Galalani
Merinthe Galalani (CY -117 - ???) is a Wood Elf Cleric of The Sun and an original party member of Group 1 of the Legacy of Izal campaign. Having joined Group 1 reluctantly out of concern for their safety, she has since grown to understand the seriousness of the events in which they are now embroiled, and serves as both a watchful protector and a perpetual skeptic. Born in Kalan, one of the Twin Dagger Cities, and having spend the bulk of her life living on the streets of both it and Klortho, Merinthe's world view and sense of right and wrong is somewhat skewed, and she lacks the knowledge of the rest of the world and its occupants that may be taken for granted by most seasoned adventurers; however, she is a valuable and connected ally to anyone who has business to conduct in the region, being known to its denizens by one of many aliases - more often favourably than not - and her upbringing has given her a rather unorthodox skill set compared to a traditional cleric. 'Physical Description' Merinthe stands a shade under five and a half feet tall, and is lean and lithe in stature. Her slender face is framed by her blonde hair, kept short in a cropped pixie cut. Helix ear piercings stand out as her only real accessories. She is rarely ever seen without a shortsword at her side and a crossbow hanging from her backpack. With worn clothes, battle-worn studded leather armor, and weathered weapons, she fits the mold of a bandit, with a shield - emblazoned with an image of the sun - being the only hint that there may be something more to her appearance. 'Background' 'Early Years' The youngest of four children, Merinthe was born to merchant parents (her mother, a jeweler, and her father, a tailor) originally from the Whispering Forest who had recently settled in the human city of Kalan. Her siblings left home when she was still an infant, leaving her with only vague memories of them. Merinthe's parents were fairly successful in their craft, owing in part to Kalan's status as a cosmopolitan city ensuring interest in garb and trinkets of elven design, allowing them to live a comfortable lifestyle. She was a fixture in her parents' shop, and would often watch her parents work their crafts and deal with their clients with rapt interest. Occasionally, customers to the shop would occasionally present her with small tokens as a gift 'to the girl with the angelic eyes', contributing in part to Merinthe's vanity and her association of wealth with importance. Break-ins and petty thefts were not particularly uncommon, and the guard presence in that sector of the city was usually regular enough that losses were minimized; however, on one rainy night, some fifty odd years after their arrival, things would turn sour. A small group of thugs happened to break into the shop while her parents were still cleaning up the storefront. The noise woke Merinthe, who grabbed her mother's crossbow and snuck downstairs. Her father, ever the peacekeeper, was trying to negotiate, while her mother, a firebrand tired of being robbed, was taking a far more aggressive stance. A fight between the two sides broke out - in the confusion, Merinthe fired a single bolt, killing one of them. Two thugs chased her, but she fled the storefront and disappeared into the mist. Merinthe returned to the shop the next morning to find the city watch present, and learned that her parents were both dead, with the thugs having cleaned out the store of all its wealth and having fled before their arrival. Though she still had a home in which to stay, she eventually lost that as well - one of her parents' competitors, a member of the family to which both soon-to-be-Queens of the Twin Dagger Cities belonged, quickly scooped up the space and unceremoniously kicked Merinthe to the streets, an act for which Merinthe still harbors resentment to this day. With no home to speak of, some of the rich and powerful former customers of her parents offered her a place to stay - however, in each case, Merinthe found out that they had less than noble motives, or were offering her less than savoury opportunities to earn her keep. With no other avenues to pursue, Merinthe fell in with the streetfolk of the Twin Dagger Cities to earn her survival. 'The Abandoned' Despite her lifestyle, Merinthe had frequently associated with other street children in her youth. She was curious and inquisitive, and the street kids knew about parts of the city that the well-to-do citizens did not. Merinthe quickly fell in with a group led by one of those she had met twenty years prior, a half-elf by the name of Saelthana. Saelthana served as the matriarch of a group of urchins that she called 'The Abandoned'. Consisting mostly of orphans, Saelthana hoped to build a home for them where their skills could be nurtured and they could eventually move on to a better life. The group was small, staying around roughly twenty strong and members came and went, but Saelthana's guidance led to a tight-knit and loyal community. They often moved between the cities of Kalan and Klortho based on opportunities available to them. The group was no formal thieves' guild, and no band of bandits - as such, they mostly relied on pickpocketing and petty theft to get the resources they needed to survive. For forty-odd years, Merinthe served 'The Abandoned' as a scout, decoy, and diplomat. She came to know the layout of the cities - and, in a broad sense, their occupants - by heart, and became Saelthana's go-to resource for information gathering, negotiation, and casing. Saelthana called her 'Angel Eyes', owing in part to her striking blue eyes and innocent childlike appearance, and in part to her ability to save members of the group from trouble. In time, Saelthana would leave the group, citing an everbuilding wanderlust that drove her to see the elven homelands representing one half of her lineage. Merinthe, along with two other members of the group, would take up its leadership, continuing the doctrine Saelthana had established. 'The Heist' Under Saelthana's leadership, 'The Abandoned' had generally avoided engaging in any significant thefts, wanting to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Merinthe felt especially comfortable with this stance, preferring to stick to cons and other small robberies and targeting only those that could afford the losses; however, in some cases, the opportunities were too good to pass up. Rumours had indicated the potential for a fairly large score from an unassuming new arrival to the Twin Dagger Cities - a merchant with a collection of rare and fascinating art. Several members of the group felt this would be a good choice for a higher risk robbery, as the arrival was new to the city and would not know any of them should things go awry. Merinthe was reluctant to give her approval, but the rumoured value of the score was enough to pique her interest. Unfortunately, the merchant (and his home) were more than they appeared to be. As they split up to scout it out, Merinthe stumbled upon bizarre, abstract paintings and curious curios. She felt herself enthralled by their bizarre appearance, as though they were calling out to her. A crash and muffled scream broke her from her reverie, and she quickly grabbed one of the curios and ran to find the source of the noise. Merinthe found herself in a hall of armoured mannequins and saw one of her friends bloodied and lying on the floor. As Merinthe ran to check on him, she was caught completely off guard by a mailed fist that nearly knocked her unconscious. Reeling from the blow, she turned and saw that two of the suits of armour had seemingly sprung to life. Tasting her own blood, she grabbed his sword, turned and ran for the exit, barely escaping with her life and a single prize - a strange puzzle box that she has been unable to solve. 'Praise The Sun' Despite fleeing the house and seemingly losing the armoured pursuers, Merinthe could not shake the feeling of being followed. Not wanting to bring retribution down upon her charges, she opted to flee the city, looking to hide in the forest to the north. The sense of being pursued followed her as she disappeared into the treeline, though she could not see or hear anything out of the ordinary. Though not a strong believer in faith, she found herself praying - or, more aptly, begging - for someone or something to save her from this nightmare. As she crept through the woods, the rays of the early light of the sun began to break through the canopy. Merinthe opted to follow them, hoping they would lead her to an exit on the far side of the forest. The light led her to a clearing in the woods, where she found an elf, seemingly with all of his equipment, who appeared to have succumbed to his wounds. While searching the body for a ranged weapon with which to defend herself, she found a small shield with a sun-shaped emblem enlaid within it. As she examined the emblem, she was beset upon by a strange, shadowy assailant - grabbing the shield, she held it above her to guard against the incoming blow, and was shocked to see a bolt of radiant energy fly forth and obliterate her attacker. Stunned, she felt herself slowly starting to fill with some sort of divine presence, feeling that her prayers had been answered by the sun itself. She made a pledge to herself to devote herself to the sun, as much as she had devoted herself to 'The Abandoned' for saving her before, and to encourage the downtrodden to look to it (but not at it) for guidance. Though she no longer felt pursued, Merinthe was still concerned that more mundane forces may be after her for her theft, and decided that now was the right time to cut ties to the cities she had spent her whole life. Emerging from the forest, she decided to follow the roads north to wherever they may lead. Eventually, through rumours and news gathered in the communities in which she stopped, she learned that the elven clan wars were taking place in the Whispering Forest. Figuring that hiding among a forest full of elves may be one of her better options to avoid pursuit, she set out for the city of Cloren, at the foot of Galadriel, hoping to earn a reprieve from the madness that had followed her in the days and weeks prior. 'Act 01: Stop Dragon My Heart Around' At some point I'll watch the VoDs to refine this, but it should be correct in the broadest strokes. Merinthe's arrival in Cloren was a peaceful one. The clan wars were indeed more spectacle than conflict, and the people were engage in a wondrous festival. It finally seemed that she was once again in a safe place; however, looks can be deceiving. As the festival was due to kick off, and speeches were being made, time slowed to a crawl and the skies seemed to be torn asunder. A great bolt of lightning shot through the skies and strike deep at the heart of Galadriel, the Great Tree, cracking the tree open. Two mysterious assailants, with cloaks emblazoned with the logo of Black Suns, ruthlessly murdered the elders and many of the clans' warriors, before diving into the tree itself. As time seemed to return to normal, chaos reigned. Merinthe assisted many others in treating the injured and wounded. Eventually, she overheard dialogue between a mixed crew of other travelers that appeared to be interested in pursuing the attackers into the tree. An angry gnome, a brooding half-orc warrior, a fidgety half-elven warrior, an aloof high elf magician, and a bizarrely impatient wood elf all seemed committed to trying to find out exactly what had happened. Concerned for their safety, and knowing they were making an irrational decision fueled by anger - the elves having lost family or friends in the attack, and the half-orc seemingly having a vendetta against the group responsible - Merinthe tried, unsuccessfully, to talk them down. Feeling a tinge of guilt for being unable to protect her family or her friends in the past, she begrudgingly offered to accompany them, hoping she could leverage the gifts granted to her by the sun to keep them safe. Unsurprisingly, Merinthe didn't know the nature of what she was getting herself into this time, either. The party would delve deep into the core of Galadriel, only to discover that its heart had been removed from an altar therein. The party's pursuit of this would led them to discover the existence of a secret order devoted to ensuring that the gods - banished a thousand years prior - remained sealed away. The heart of Galadriel - along with several other similar relics - was one of many seals required to keep them banished, and these assailants were, presumably, looking to release the gods. Though inexperienced, the party would volunteer to try and stop this ritual from being completed. With little information to work on, they set out to speak with other possible members of the order. Their travels led them to numerous destinations - Alucard Castle, where they ran afoul of Dalv, a vampire lord with still unknown motives; Moradin, the City of the Dwarves, where they would succeed in preventing a gnomish uprising, fail to prevent the capture of the Heart of the Forge by two other agents of the Black Suns, and lose one of their companions in battle while gaining another stalwart warrior; and, Fallsworn Jungle, where they would ultimately face their greatest betrayal and fail to stop the gods' resurrection. Rescued in their darkest hour by a draconic ally, the party would withdraw to briefly nurse their wounds and attempt to decide on their next course of action. 'Act 02: There's No Time to Explain: Remastered' Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and with nought but a half day to regroup, the party needed to immediately spring to action to identify what allies remain and what force can be brought to bear against the demonic insurrection pouring fourth from the skies. Chrysanthemum took the party to her lair and advised that one of her strongest allies, Murdoch, was alive but that she was unable to reach him. The party agreed that they would try to find Murdoch or, at least, what happened to him. Chrysanthemum provided the party with a travel stone and suggested they use (apparently secret) underground ley lines that would give us more direct access to the city of Kalan, where Murdoch resided. Merinthe was reluctant to return, but knowing the stakes, agreed. The party took a secret exit from her lair underground, and worked their way to one of the ley line portal access points. To their surprise, they were attacked by dark skinned elves, one of whom fled through the ley line. The party pursued them, only to stumble upon a massive, underground city. The party attempted to leave, but quickly discovered that their stone was - apparently - only equipped for a single use, and they were not where they expected to be. Without any options, the party skirted the perimeter of the city, and discovered many similar ley line portals leading to myriad unknown destinations. They were able to detain and interrogate a deep dwarven slaver, who gave them information on the city (a city full of drow, as it were), explained the mechanisms of the teleporters, and offered to assist them in exchange for their help procuring an item from the mines he managed. Though they were able to recover the item, the dwarf attempted to betray them, and died to a bulette for his foolishness. As a result of this mission, however, Duran identified that Merinthe had been afflicted with some kind of strong, necromantic curse. She hoped to remove it, but was unable to dispel it and did not have the opportunity to pray to the sun for different aid. Prior to his betrayal, the dwarf had given the party some additional travel stones, but they were still not certain which exit to take - or even if his information was correct. It was at this point that they were ambushed by another drow - though this one would turn out to be an ally (at least in the short term). The drow recognized that the party were not from the underground, advised the party that the city's denizens were plotting for an invasion of the surface, and stressed that the party needed to apprise their allies so that they could be prepared to repel it. With his assistance, the party was able to disrupt their drow's plans and escape to the surface, arriving underground in the College of Booyanthe. Though the party was optimistic that fate was finally bending in their favour, there was no improvement in their fortunes. The party would quickly come to discover many unfortunate truths in Kalan: Murdoch was nowhere to be found, with a new headmaster - Jessan - having taken over the college at the request of Judy, the Queen of Klortho; both kings of the Twin Dagger Cities had been slain, leaving their Queens at the onset of a potential war of succession; the Queen of Kalan had uncharacteristically built a new, brutal arena to build 'morale' in the city, and the party's good friend Dalv had returned; the party was mistakenly identified as combatants in this arena; the Whispering Forest was a black, decaying mess; and, Moradin itself had been lost to demonic invaders with the assistance of gnomish defectors. After an unsuccessful bought of initial fact-finding, the party withdrew to an inn - the Fire-proof Bastion to rest and consider their options. They were found that evening by Dalv and another mysterious entity, who both left them direct messages, and later attacked by agents of Cyric - driving home the fact that they are being pursued. They moved to another inn, after killing one set of pursuers (whereupon Merinthe learned just who, exactly, she had burgled before she fled the city) and misdirecting another, and were finally able to rest and plot in peace. To her relief, Merinthe was able to remove her curse and, interestingly enough, finally crack open the puzzle box that she had acquired two months prior... though, frustratingly, she is unable to put it back together. With few leads, the party pressured Merinthe to rely upon her network of contacts to try and get more information. Begrudgingly, as she was hoping to remain incognito, she directed and accompanied them to the location of several leads - first in speaking with Captain Cox at the Sweet Liberty Inn, and later with Falkrin Luthgier at the Rat Skull Tavern. Falkrin was able to give them information upon which they could act; however, Falkrin also revealed to the party that a bounty had been placed upon their heads by Mistress Ling, just in time for a group of bounty hunters (led by Kayasa) to arrive. With Falkrin's assistance to buy time, the party was able to - again - escape pursuit, and at Merinthe's suggestion, fled to a safe house to consider their plan of attack. Staying in the city was risky, their plan to move to Klortho was no better, and Moradin and the Whispering Forest were both unknown quantities. At this point, the party settled on a desperate gambit - take over and steal the flying college of Booyanthe. They set out for the college and ascended to the headmaster's chambers, weapons drawn, only to discover a meeting was taking place between Judy, the Queen of Klortho, and a girl who could pass as Jessan's twin sister. 'Personality' Merinthe is someone who can often see the best in people, though her devotion to this viewpoint has been tested as a result of recent events. Regardless, she feels that all people - rich or poor - deserve respect, until they prove otherwise. Having served 'The Abandoned' as a matron, she treats others with compassion, is often sympathetic to their plights, and will try to help as best she can. Merinthe is a problem solver of sorts, and relies upon her instinct and intuition whenever quick decisions are made. She can thus be extremely resourceful but prone to squandering that on impulsive decisions, a trait that allies may find frustrating. Owing to her involvement and her family's business, and subsequently amplified by her time spent on the street, Merinthe is highly materialistic. Though she understands the value of sharing resources for the greater good and benefit of and ongoing success of the group, she tends to overvalue trinkets and equates wealth (and displays thereof) with power and importance. Outside of situations where being wrong could be fatal, she will tend to defer to the knowledge and experience of the wealthy - after all, they can afford access to information and people of which she could only dream. For better or worse, Merinthe is extremely suspicious and secretive. She will never fully trust anyone other than herself, and has only extended a moderate amount of trust to two groups since losing her home - 'The Abandoned', and the party of adventurers that she is 'stuck' protecting. Anyone unknown - no matter how friendly they appear, no matter how trustworthy they appear, and no matter how wealthy they appear - is still viewed as a potential threat, though she will 'play along' to ensure there are no problems. Even among those she trusts, she tends to keep to herself about her motives and past. Her lack of trust even extends to her equipment - she will only loan equipment to others when she is around to see what they do with it, and is extremely paranoid about others rummaging through her affairs to the point that she even sleeps with her backpack in hand. Merinthe views herself as a steward and guardian of any groups of which she is a member, and ultimately feels responsible for any of their defeats. Her equipment often consists of equipment taken from those she has lost - an unbreakable needle from her father; a crossbow from her mother; a sword from her consort; armour from a fallen ally - serving as a memento of the person they were and a stark reminder of her failure. She is often down on herself for not being strong enough to protect those she considers friends, and is constantly searching for power that will prevent future loss; however, her primary motive is still, ultimately, self-preservation and survival, and this has led to her abandoning allies in their time of need. 'Relationships' 'Legend: |A| - Alive, |D| - Deceased, |M| - Missing. This reflects their presumed status.' 'Allies' Belrus Gillio - |A| - A member of her party, Merinthe views Belrus as a wildcard. A vengeful but trustworthy warrior, she worries that her past may put her on the wrong side of his golden hammer. Chrysanthemum - |A| - A member of the Council of Artol and an ally to the party. Merinthe has no strong rapport beyond a common goal of preventing Cyric's plan from being entirely successful. Duran Veneficus - |A| - A member of her party, Merinthe views Duran as a resourceful individual who is willing to step up and talk so she doesn't. She's concerned his thirst for knowledge may lead to him asking too many questions. Elgroth - |A| - A member of her party, Merinthe views Elgroth with adoration, as she feels he has single-handedly saved their lives from immediate dangers. She hopes to one day be able to allow him to enact his revenge. Kellam Glynrora - |D| - A member of 'The Abandoned', Kellam was one of the leaders after Saelthana's departure. He was a high elf who prided himself as a marksman. He was a close consort of Merinthe's, and (to her knowledge) perished during the failed heist. Merinthe took his shortsword out of preceived need, but has since kept it as a memento. Saelthana - |M| - The half-elven leader of 'The Abandoned' at the time Merinthe sought refuge, she and Merinthe had an extremely close relationship. The last Merinthe knew of her, she had left for the Whispering Forest some twenty years ago. The Sun - |A| - Best deity. Yenkas Two-Steppes - |D| - A former member of her party. Merinthe views herself as ultimately responsible for Yenkas' death, as her decision to be conservative with her resources and try to hide and run away with the Heart during the climactic battle at the dwarven forge ultimately led to his demise. Merinthe wears both his armor and an amulet he treasured as a reminder of what happened. Yorrik Steelmind - |A| - Though Merinthe views him as a bit of an abrasive fool, there is no denying he is the only competent resource they have in Moradin. Yorrick's connection to the Council paint him, at the very least, as an ally in their greater common goal. Zook Z. Pepperclank - |A| - A member of her party, Merinthe views Zook as a reliable if stubborn ally. She feels he brings a tactical angle to their approach and often serves as a foil for her impulsive, gut decisions. 'Friends/Contacts' Adi Milton - |A| - A member of the Klortho city guard, Adi was sympathetic to the urchins of the Twin Dagger Cities, and was easily willing to look the other way where minor crimes were concerned. Captain Cox - |A| - A retired guard captain, Merinthe often dealt with him during his active years and occasionally leaned on him as a resource after his retirement. He is a friendly, if foolish, sort of man. Falkrin Luthgier - |A| - One of the Twin Dagger Cities' top information brokers, Falkrin can be relied upon to protect client confidentiality... so long as you pay her enough. Kristen Stewart - |D| - A long dead vampire hunter, the party believed she was merely trapping a force for evil; however, recent information give to the party by Falkrin puts her motives in doubt. Miia - |M| - The tribal leader of Nani Kulanakauhale, Merinthe felt a connection owing to their shared believe in the sun; however, their faith and power seems to manifest itself in different ways, and Merinthe is not sure she is a true believer. Murdoch - |M| - Having gone missing around the time of the completion of the deity-liberating ritual, Murdoch appears to be alive but unaccounted for. Chrysanthemum stresses that he is a key ally and the most powerful spellcaster Izal has seen - but he is completely unknown to Merinthe. Roshi Neriro - |A| - A member of 'The Abandoned', Roshi was one of the leaders after Saelthana's departure. She was a halfing with a gift for song, and would focus on managing the group's spirits with tales of better times. Rurick Fireforge - |A| - He's a dumb guy who happens to be king of the dwarves. Dwarves are idiots. 'Enemies/Foes' Cyric - |A| - The god of lies, who took up the identity of Duran's understudy Eustace, and ultimately betrayed the party in order to complete his quest. Dalv - |A| - A vampire lord in a mysterious castle in the Whispering Forest, Dalv's motives remain unclear to the party. The party stole his magic jug, and he is ANGERY. Believed to have been isolated to his castle, the party has recently seen him in Kalan. Mistress Ling - |A| - Unbeknownst to Merinthe, the merchant house 'The Abandoned' robbed belonged to notorious information broker Mistress Ling, possibly serving as a front for her to manage client payments. Merinthe bears her no ill will, but based on the bounty that was placed on their heads, it appears that belief is only one-way. Nome - |A| - The leader of a clan of gnomes in the city of Moradin, who unsuccessfully attempted to lead a gnomish uprising during the party's attempt to protect the Heart of the Forge, Nome is not overtly hostile to Merinthe or her companions; however, she considers him to be a threat. Queen Judy of Klortho - |A| - Judy (and, to some extent, her sister) are unknown quantities; however, Merinthe has borne witness to her ruthless nature as judge, jury, and executioner. Merinthe also holds Judy's family at large responsible for the death of her family, and holds a particular grudge as a result. Category:PCs Category:Group 1